Pronouns in Spanish (Lesson#1)

So this is a quick lesson on pronouns in Spanish. Its quite tricky compared to English, because English is not as gender and noun specific Spanish. 

Basically pronouns serve as substitutes for a noun in a sentence or phrase (just like English). The noun that is replaces is referred to as the antecedent. 

So for example:

Cathy loves chocolate. She also loves tacos. 

In this case Cathy is the antecedent of "she". 

Its sort of weird that I am explaining Spanish pronoun concepts in English. It can cause complications, so I am going to switch to Spanish now. I will try to translate, but I am guessing your level is good enough to comprehend Spanish if your learning the pronoun concept. :) 

Hay 6 tipos de pronombres

1. Personales
2. Demonstrative
3. Posesivo 
4. Relativo
5. Interogativo
6. Indefinido

1.

Personales

Hay 4 grupos de pronombres personales:

1. sujeto  

2.objeto  

3.disyuntivo  

4 reflexivo

.....

1. Sujeto

Normalmente no usamos en español, es solo para enfatir o dar claridad. 

                            Yo- I                                   nosotros/as- we (masculine feminine plural)

                          Tú- You                                   vosotros/as- you (masculine/feminine  plural)

Usted- You (formal)                ustedes- you (plural and formal)

él- him                               ellos- him (plural)

ella-her                              ellas- her (plural)

2. Objeto

Usamos los pronombres para que no es necesario que repita el objeto muchas veces. En vez decimos 'lo, la...etc' (como him, her, in english)

Hay dos tipos de 'objeto'

Objeto directo y objeto indirecto

Este es un pagína de web que tiene un superbuena presentacion de power points sobre objeto directo y indirecto

La presentacion incluye otras temas tambien, puedas ignorar si quieres. 

3. Disyuntivo 

Usamos después de los preposciones o enfatir. 

                               mí- me                              nosotros/as- we (masculine feminine plural)

                                   tí- you                              vosotros/as- you (masculine/feminine  plural)

      usted- You (formal)                  ustedes- you (plural and formal)

él- him                                          ellos- him (plural)

ella-her                                        ellas- her (plural)

por ejemplo:

Entré después de ella. 

* Cuando combinamos 'con':

con+ mi= conmigo          con+ ti= contigo

por ejemplo:

¿Va tu amigo contigo a Benidorm?

4. Reflexivo

estos son forman una parte de los verbos reflexivos y se refieren a los sujetos de la frase. 

me- me                               nos- us

te-   you                              os- you (plural)

se-   he/she (singular)      se- he/she (plural)

por ejemplo:

los verbos con reflexivo: 

levantarse, ducharse, lavarse, unirse...etc

Se levanta todos los días a la misma hora.

Stay tuned for more...

on 

the other 5! 

Stalking Penelope Cruz for homework

 

Soo I did some more Spanish today. Actually some Lit coursework as well. The entire morning I spent doing coursework, got grumpy it was afternoon. To get my mind off being grumpy I watched a Spanish movie; which is part of my "syllabus". (Notice how I don't waste time. Haha)

My Unit 4, A Level Spanish paper has a research based essay in Section C. You can choose from 5 options in advance what essay topic you want to do.Its like coursework except you present you final in a time paper.

 

I chose Literature and Arts. I didn't think about the implications in terms of language when I did that. Hehe..I was just excited about doing a novel or a film. I chose Como agua para chocolate, but after reading it for my diploma course, I decided not too! It is a very hard to read novel because of all it Mexican terms, it complicates the whole thing a 100 times more. Sooo I chose a movie by Pedro Almodóvar called

VOLVER

  

The movie features the infamous and super pretty actress Penelope Cruz, her sister Lola Dueñas, Yohanna Cobo as her daughter, Carmen Maura as her mother and Blanca Portillo as 

neighbour in her village home. 

 

I am too tired and lazy to do a review right now. So I am putting a brief post together. Maybe I shall add to it later. The movie is very colorful and the directing is amazing! The movie has suggestive content..lol. If you get it that is. Otherwise its a everyone who speaks Spanish or can download get a version with subtitles. If you do, and you like colors and interesting story then you totally must.

It got people at home and in school, who don't speak Spanish, hooked!

So its a you-should-definitely  watch it.

 

If you, just like me are watching this for your A level exam paper.

Here is a very VERY VERY useful link for you. Its a guide designed for A level students to use for studying for the paper. Its a series of pretty worksheets made by a Uni professor.

Its a guide! 

An interesting webpage.Be warned you need Flash Player 7 to actually access the cooler site. 

The movie has a beautiful Flamenco sound Penelope Cruz lip syncs too! :D

Its beautiful, according to some brisk Googling the singer is Estrella Morente.

P.S. Have you noticed how extremely pretty and hot Penelope a.k.a Raimunda is in the movie!

Her wardrobe= bright colors and floral prints

 

Her footwear= pretty jute high platforms

  

 

Make up= so pretty, her eyes and pink lips! <3

 

Her hair-do= <3

Her jewelery= Gold and the same throughout!

 

♪ You know which song I'm humming..

 

¿Como nos comunicamos? A Brief Lesson on Spanish Grammar

Some Spanish Grammar concepts I've been studying over the past two days...

 

Uses of Subjunctive

• Verbs of "mental activity" such as creer, pensar, considerar are followed by an indicative when used affirmatively.

Creer/ Pensar/ Considerar + que+ Indicative

Ejemplos (examples): Creo que debes comes mas chocolate.

                                      (I think you should eat more chocolate.)

                                      Pensamos que vuelas a Italia. 

                                      (We think you should fly to Italy.)            

• However when used in the negative form, subjunctive must be used in the following subordinate clause.

No + Creer/ Pensar/ Considerar + que+ Subjunctive

Ejemplos (examples):No creo que comas mas chocolate.

                                      (I don't think you should eat more chocolate.)

                                      No pensamos que vueles a Italia. 

                                      (We don't think you should fly to Italy.)

 

Reflexive Verbs

• In sentence containing reflexive verbs , the subject and object of the verb are the same person. In Spanish reflexive verbs are always accompanied by a reflexive pronoun.

Ejemplos: 

Divertirse (to amuse oneself)

Me     Diverto

Te      Divertes

Se      Diverte

Nos   Divertimos

Os     Divertís

Se      Diverten

*When you translate a reflexive to English, it often doesn't have a reflexive pronoun or the reflexive is "understood" i.e Lavarse- to wash (to wash oneself)

Ejemplos (examples) :

Ducharse (to shower)  Vesitirse (to dress)   Hacerse (to become)

Peinarse (to comb)      Ponerse (to put)        Darse (to give) 

 

Uses of sunbjunctive

Como si (as if) + subjuntive

• Subjunctive is always used after "Como si "  

Ana me miró como si estuviera loco. 

(Ana looked at me as if I was mad.)

 

How to express "for" with a period of time.

• For actions referring to an action which began in the past and is still/ was going on, maybe expressed in the following ways:

Lleva + Gerundio = 

Lleva esperando media hora 

(I've been waiting for an hour)

Desde Hace + Tiempo = 

Espero desde hace media hora 

(I have been waiting since two hours)

Desde* + Fecha = 

Espero desde 1998. 

(I have waited since 1998)

Hace + Tiempo + que = 

Hace media hora que espero. 

(Its been half and hour since I've been waiting)

[ * Desde = since ]

 

• "For" referring to the duration of a time period is conveyed through 
• "por" or "durante"

Por  

Voy a comer por 2 horas. 

(I am going to eat for two hours) 

Durante

Romeo buscó para Julieta durante el anos de guerra. 

(Romeo searched for Juliet during the years of the war.)

 

Lo + adjective 

• "Lo" is often followed by an adjective in the masculine singular form creating an abstract noun. 
• In English = "the (adjective) thing

Ejemplo: 

Lo bonito es que el novio esperó para su amor. 

(The beauty is that the boyfriend waited for his love.)

 

Uses of subjunctive

•  Subjunctive is used with the following expression to make value judgments and are usually impersonal.

A mí me parece bien/mal           Vale la pena              Es imprescindible

Es normal                                  Hace falta                 Es necesario  

Sería mejor                                Es importante           Más vale

• These expressions are usually followed by the infinitive.

Sería mejor reducir el uso de los moviles. 

(Its better to reduce the use of mobiles.)

• However when the subject changes:

Expression + que + subjunctive

Es importante que el cuerpo tenga suficiente agua en esto clima calor. 

(Its important that the body had enough water in this hot weather)

*dusts chalk of fingers*

Hope you had a good class! :)

 

♪Edward Maya ft Vika Jigulin Desert Rose

Sources:

Info: Edexcel Spanish for A Level (Chapter 7, 

pages -131,133,135,137,141 & 143)

 

Photos: WeHeartit